Trustees are the people in charge of a charity. They play a vital role, volunteering their time and working together to make important decisions about the charity's work. Trustees' Week is an annual event to showcase the great work that trustees do and highlight opportunities for people from all walks of life to get involved and make a difference. Trustees’ Week 2015 is 2–8 November, and is being officially launched at the NCVO / BWB Trustee Conference on 2 November 2015.

Monday, 10 November 2014

To summarise our previous two blogs ‘What
is Trustee Indemnity Insurance’ and ‘Responsibilities
of a charity trustee’ we have listed our top frequently asked
questions. If you have any further questions why not talk to somebody directly?
Ecclesiastical will be taking over our @knowhownonprof twitter account on
Tuesday 11 November between 1.30-3pm. A charity insurance professional
will be on hand to answer any of your questions – so please do pop the date in
your diary.

1.Who
is included in the term charity trustee?

The term charity trustee can be used to describe a number of
people. Quite often they go by a number of titles including, directors, board
members, governors or committee members. Trustees are ultimately people who
serve on the governing body of a charity.

2.What
is a trustee ultimately responsible for?

Trustees have and ultimate responsibility for the affairs of
the charity. They have three main areas of responsibilities to ensure;

·It remains solvent – as a trustee it is your
duty to make sure the charity remains in a good financial position. The
charitable funds and assets must be used sensibly.

·The charity is well run – it is ultimately the
trustees’ role to ensure the charity remains compliant with the law. A good
trustee needs to understand the charity market, its obligations to the Charity
Commission and it helps to have a good head for annual reports and accounts.

·It delivers its charitable objectives – a
trustee must act with integrity to deliver everything in accordance to their
charitable goals.

3.Can trustees delegate their
responsibilities?

Trustees can generally delegate certain powers to
agents or employees, but will and must always retain the ultimate
responsibility for running the charity.

4.Can a trustee resign?

Yes – it is usually straightforward for a trustee
to resign. But in some situations, especially with unincorporated charities, it
is important to check the charity’s governing document carefully. Sometimes
legal advice will be needed to ensure that things are done properly.

5.Why
should you consider Trustee Indemnity Insurance?

As a trustee you have some protection under the Company and
Charities Acts’ and possibly via your charity’s own constitution, however, this
may not always be enough. By having Trustees Indemnity Insurance in place it
will protect you against a financial loss, should an allegation be made against
you and or your charity for any wrongdoing whilst holding your position as a
trustee. In essence Trustee Indemnity Insurance provides you with a financial
safety net should something happen.

Don’t understand or need more info?

Ecclesiastical
have produced a trustee
hub giving you lots more information and help with Trustee Indemnity
Insurance. Support comes in the form of up to date blog posts, articles and
videos on the topic.